The Starrr Of The Queen Of Life

Debby Fridays Sub Pop debut, Good Luck, appeared in 2023 and was awarded the annual Polaris Music Prize, beating high-profile releases by Alvvays and Feist. While on tour for the album, Friday spent a lot of time learning about stars, specifically Vega and how its placement in the birth chart can provide gifts of creativity, acclaim, and bravery to the recipient. The Starrr of the Queen of Life, her second full-length, immediately focuses on celestial inspirations with the opener, "1/17," in which she euphorically sighs "I swear its a sign" over trancey arpeggios, then delivers intimate spoken verses before a heavy club beat slams in. Much of the album continues in a more explicitly club-ready direction than Good Luck, with less of its darkwave and industrial influences. "All I Wanna Do Is Party" is a straight-up hedonistic dancefloor anthem, and "In the Club" is a freaky, seductive link-up with rising Detroit ghettotech trio HiTech. "Alberta" is a bit of a new approach for Friday, blending slithering drill-like beats with sensual R&B lyrics about a specific romantic encounter. "Higher" features breathy, sexually charged vocals over skipping polyrhythms and grainy guitars. "Arcadia," partially half-whispered in French, glides along to a cool post-dubstep beat. "Leave" is a longing ambient pop interlude with Imogen Heap-like vocoders. The albums two most exciting tracks are saved for the end. "Bet on Me" is a coolly confident pep anthem set to racing jungle breakbeats, and "Darker the Better" revisits Fridays dance-punk side, balancing introspective softness with ecstatic shouting. Stylistically, Friday remains as hard to pin down as ever, but in terms of ambition and drive, shes never been more focused. ~ Paul Simpson

ナイジェリア生まれ/トロント在住のシンガー・ソングライターによる2枚目のフル・アルバム。2023年の処女作はベッドルームから画面越しでダンスフロアを覗いているような、どこか傍観者っぽい雰囲気がありましたが、今回はフロアへ直行。世代によってはレイヴやガバを連想するであろうサウンドを散りばめ、フィジカルにガンガン訴えかけてきます。デトロイト録音を敢行したハイ・テック客演の治安悪めな"In The Club"や、魅惑のウィスパー・ヴォイスで陶酔感を煽るドラムンベースもバッチリ。妙な小難しさが取り払われ、ここから大きな飛躍を期待せずにはいられない渾身の一枚です。
bounce (C)山西絵美